"New Augusta National event finger-lickin' good"

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I'm not sure why the Asian Amateur needs four corporate sponsors, but Steve Elling only wonders why they let this weird photo opp with Colonel Sanders occur:

There's nothing at all wrong with having sponsors to defray costs of a worthy project, mind you. It's just that the photo was jarring because of the corporate contrast with the decades-old Masters mindset.

Sean Martin writes about that first tee scene and the ceremonial first tee ball hit by Billy Payne.

"Until such time as the composition of the the LPGA Board changes, they'll keep hiring Marketing people ala the 'Brand Lady.'"

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Jim McCabe writes about the strong marketing background of new LPGA Commissioner Whan:

“These are difficult times, but he will bring a lot of skills to the job,” Rugge said. “He is a solid marketing guy,” adding that Whan is "full of energy” and "has plenty of ideas.”

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"Golf's governing bodies have dithered on the distance question since the early 1990s, but that attitude seems increasingly unsustainable."

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So I'm reading David Owen's look at some of the bold efforts to reduce water consumption by Las Vegas golf courses and thinking about what a joy it is to read a New Yorker-style story in Golf Digest. It's packed with great information, insight and some personal observation from Owen, who has just written a new book titled Green Metropolis.
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"The financial crisis gave the European Tour a perfect chance to get together with other tours around the world"

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John Huggan explains why Rory McIlroy's pending decision to play four more times on the PGA Tour could prove to be a huge black eye for the European Tour, but more interesting is the criticism from Rory agent Chubby Chandler about George O'Grady's missed opportunity for creating a world tour.
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Pinehurst #2 Finally Getting The Treatment It Deserves

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If you ever bemoan the rankings, just remember they do serve a positive purpose as evidenced by Pinehurst #2's recent and well deserved plummet down the list for the architectural sterilization driven in part by a cattle-herd operational mentality which decided sandy pine scrub would slow down play. Seems they have gotten the message, because as Ron Green Jr. reports (thanks reader Gene), Coore and Crenshaw are being hired to return some soul to the place:

Tinkering with what is considered Donald Ross' masterpiece is a delicate matter, and Pinehurst president Don Padgett III is taking a careful approach.

He has consulted with Coore and Crenshaw as well as Mike Davis, senior director of rules and competitions for the USGA, who will oversee the set-up for the U.S. Opens.

"They are trying to develop a concept to restore the course to a lot of the original design criteria while, at the same time, have it be a championship venue for the Opens," Padgett said this week.

And...

The main alterations would involve bringing back more of the sandy areas dotted with wire grass off the fairways, places where there is now rough. It would be similar, Padgett said, to how the course was in the 1930s and 1940s when Ross lived in the area and worked on it.

"What people expect of No.2 has gone away," Padgett said. "I think they (Coore and Crenshaw) plan to bring that back."

Padgett said if the plan moves forward, it will be at least a year, maybe longer, before work begins.

"I'm just glad to be headed in the right direction," Padgett said.

Me too!

WHEW! New LPGA Commish Unleashes All Of The Essential Business Jargon In First Press Release!

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I was worried we might get some straight shooter but judging by his first press release quote, new LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan is going to pick up right where the Brand Lady left off, at least in the B-speak department. More on that momentarily.

Ron Sirak's story about the Oct. 28 announcement appeared first and he calls the naming a "bit of a surprise." Golfweek was first to post on Twitter, linking Beth Ann Baldry's story noting Whan's bio.

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